Francis Taylor Building offers a number of mini-pupillages throughout the year and hosts an annual virtual mini-pupillage day, usually in April.
Mini-pupillages are short, funded periods of in-person work experience with Chambers usually lasting for three days, from Tuesday to Thursday. They provide an opportunity for mini-pupils to meet members of Chambers, to be introduced to the type of work we do and to life in Chambers.
Mini-pupillages involve attending court with members of Chambers, reading papers, carrying out research and drafting.
In addition to in-person work experience, Chambers hosts a virtual mini-pupillage once a year in the Spring. Participants will meet members, learn about FTB’s work and participate in advocacy exercises.
Chambers will look to offer 20 in-person mini-pupillages per year, split into three periods: January to March, April to July and October to December. Mini-pupillages are not offered on Bank Holidays or during the Christmas, Easter or summer vacations.
For the October to December period, applications must be received by 31 August. FTB aims to shortlist candidates for this period by the end of September.
For the January to March period, applications must be received by 15 December. FTB aims to shortlist candidates for this period by early January.
For the April to July period, applications must be received by 1 February. FTB aims to shortlist candidates for this period by the end of March.
Applications for the virtual mini-pupillage are only invited when the event is advertised on the Mini-Pupillage page of the FTB website. Please check in the new year, when advertisements are usually published.
Applications are by cover letter (two pages or less) and CV, which should be submitted as a single PDF attachment to an email to andrew.briton@ftbchambers.co.uk. Please state in the subject-line the mini-pupillage period/s that you are applying for.
Candidates may submit a single application for consideration for multiple periods.
You are advised to use the cover letter to explain why you would like a mini-pupillage at Francis Taylor Building and why you are a suitable candidate, having regard to the marking criteria (see below). The cover letter should state any dates during the period applied for when you are not available.
The cover letter should set out (if appropriate) any request to attend experiences remotely at home, for Chambers to provide access to a laptop and for the funding of accommodation costs. Any request for the funding of accommodation costs should explain why hotel accommodation is reasonably required.
Applicants are also requested to complete an equality and diversity questionnaire. If possible, please send it in a separate email as these are anonymous and will not have any bearing on the outcome of your application.
Those who undertake an in-person mini-pupillage with FTB after submitting an application or winning an academic prize are entitled to reimbursement of their expenses in accordance with the paragraphs below.
A maximum of £20 will be offered for each day of the mini-pupillage to cover reasonable subsistence expenses and travel expenses within Greater London. A maximum of £100 will be offered to cover reasonable travel and subsistence expenses commuting to Chambers to those who live outside the M25. A maximum of £350 will be offered to cover accommodation expenses for those who can justify the need to stay within a hotel in London during the course of their mini-pupillage. Entitlement to reimbursement of the above expenses is cumulative.
Mini-pupils should submit a request for reimbursement via email to Vicki Cousins within one week of completing their mini-pupillage with a breakdown of the costs they are seeking reimbursement of and their bank account details. vicki.cousins@ftbchambers.co.uk. Mini-pupils are responsible for seeking VAT receipts where VAT is charged on qualifying expenses such as a hotel, for retaining copies of all receipts and for sending photographs or scans to their email to Vicki Cousins requesting reimbursement. Receipts are required for reimbursement of all expenses except where a reasonable explanation is provided for the absence of a receipt.
Where a candidate proposes to stay within a hotel during their mini-pupillage, this should be explained and justified in the cover letter submitted with their application for a mini-pupillage. Where an offer of a mini-pupillage is made FTB will notify the successful candidate whether their accommodation expenses will be reimbursed.
The requirement to explain and justify reimbursement of expenses within the cover letter only applies to accommodation expenses. The intentions of candidates regarding reimbursement of their expenses are not considered when decisions are made to shortlist candidates for mini-pupillages.
There are additional sources of funding from other organisations that candidates may wish to explore, such as the Lincoln’s Inn Mini-Pupillage Grant.
Chambers’ mini-pupillages and the virtual mini-pupillage are designed to be most useful to those who are eligible (or who will be shortly eligible) to apply for pupillage.
We therefore require that:
- Law students must be in at least their second year of a qualifying law degree by the time they undertake a mini-pupillage with us. More information on qualifying law degrees is available here.
- Non-law students must have at least started the GDL by the time they undertake a mini-pupillage with us.
We welcome applications from candidates who are now in work, having previously obtained a qualifying law degree or the GDL.
If you are unsure whether you are eligible or would like to request an exemption from the above requirements please contact us at the email address above before applying.
Applications, taken to be your CV and cover letter, are marked according to the following criteria:
- Academic achievement (10 marks);
- Intellectual ability (10 marks);
- Advocacy (10 marks);
- Interest in Francis Taylor Building (10 marks); and,
- Extra-Curricular activity (10 marks).
A Pupil’s View
Armin Solimani
Armin completed pupillage at FTB in October 2024 and is now a tenant.
Undertaking a pupillage is a bewilderingly fast-paced endeavour, which means the only time for thoughtful reflection comes after you’ve been taken on. And thoughtfully reflecting now, as a new tenant cobbling together a fledgling practice, I feel very fortunate to have trained at FTB.
That is for a few reasons. Among them is that I was supervised by leaders in the fields I was passionate about, whose practices I had long admired. From my very first day and throughout pupillage, they involved me in matters of national significance, from the Lower Thames Crossing infrastructure project, to the judicial review of the “Bibby Stockholm” barge, to the legal challenges concerning the government’s use of military barracks as asylum seeker accommodation. Reading about your own work in the papers, often several times a week, never gets old.
FTB’s focus on advocacy was another highlight. We undertake challenging advocacy assessments throughout the year and our clerks compile a busy schedule of varied court work in the second six. The result is that, as a new tenant, you have the confidence and authority to perform in court, even against much more experienced advocates. Our assessments were carefully composed, and gave us a unique opportunity to confront and debate thorny issues in public and environmental law. They are a fond memory, and I draw on that experience, and the feedback and advice of our assessors, constantly in my own work.
And perhaps most importantly of all, the culture at FTB made pupillage a rewarding and fulfilling experience. The geniality, the support, the ease with which advice is sought and given among colleagues; these cultural qualities were obvious from my first day, and they give me great reassurance as I embark on my career proper.